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THE OFFICIAL MINUTES

The Big Bend Community College Board of Trustees held a Regular Board meeting Thursday, December 9, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. via Zoom Webinar.

  1. Call to Order
    Present: Anna Franz
      Jon Lane
      Amy Parris
      Juanita Richards
      Thomas Stredwick
  2. Recognition of 13th District Representative Tom Dent
    Chair Thomas Stredwick and President Tweedy thanked Representative Dent for his continuing support. Rep Dent shared that his career in aviation is very rewarding and he wanted to give something back to Big Bend Community College to support careers in aviation.
  3. Mission Moments
    Chair Stredwick explained this new standing agenda item is for recognition centering on the important work of Big Bend that reflects the mission, vision, and guiding principles. Chair Stredwick highlighted Phi Theta Kappa, the Big Bend Foundation, and faculty and staff for their generosity supporting students through Thanksgiving drives for meals and other essentials.
  4. Educational Presentation, The Mission of Community Colleges: Creating a Climate for Learning
    VP Bryce Humpherys presented information on the mission of community colleges. Community colleges are distinct and were expanded following the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Open access is a critical part of community colleges. We focus on our local communities and teaching and learning, not research. Four parts to teaching mission transfer, workforce, basic education, and continuing education. Dean Kathleen Duvall reported about providing students with classes to earn a transfer degree to smooth their way to a four-year university. Students with an AA earn their baccalaureate at a slightly higher rate than those who do not.

    Dean of Workforce Education Daneen Berry Guerin reported about workforce training and economic development within the service district. Advisory Committee members share areas of need and guide program curriculum and industry credentials. Associate of Applied Science degrees that are skills based and industry specific may transfer with an articulation degree for example, the agriculture program graduates can smoothly transfer to WSU. Certificates are also earned with various lengths of courses.

    Interim Director Jody Bortz explained that the Basic Education for Adults (BEdA) program is a pipeline to work for most the most undereducated population in the service district. There are offsite courses in Quincy, Mattawa and Othello, and students may earn their high school diploma, GED preparation, attend Open Doors, and attend English language acquisition classes. BEdA gets students to college or the workplace.

    Director of Center for Business & Industry Services (CBIS) Beth Laszlo reported CBIS is a self-support program and offers non-credit educational needs for skilled workforce, personal enrichment programs, technical training and professional certification. CBIS accesses grant funding and incubates instruction with more flexibility than workforce or transfer offerings. Successful courses can be moved to instructional programs. Director Laszlo builds relationships with trainers, industry leaders, and school districts.

    Dean André Guzman reported information about how student services professionals help students through academic, social, and financial issues. Providing access to students coupled with support is very important for student success. These departments work in the background.

    VP Humpherys reported equity gaps are being investigated to identify evidence for improvement areas.

    Trustee Amy Parris expressed her appreciation of the presentation. Trustee Jon reported that he attended an incubator presentation at the recent ACCT conference. CBIS works with business for training and provide manufacturing pipeline incubator training sponsored by the North Central Workforce Development Council.
  5. Consent Agenda
    a) Approval of October 28, 2021, Board Meeting Minutes (A); b) Accreditation (I); c) Student Success (I); d) Assessment (I); e) Finance & Administration (I); f) Human Resources Report (I); g) ASB Report (I); h) Foundation Report (I).

    Motion 21-48 Trustee Anna Franz moved to approve the consent agenda. Trustee Jon Lane seconded and the motion passed.
  6. Remarks
    There were no public remarks.
  7. Faculty Updates
    Faculty Association President Dawnne Ernette reported faculty news. In November, Chemistry instructor Sarah Bauer attended a workshop called "Active Learning for the Busy Skeptics and True Believers" as part of a research project on active learning in STEM courses that she has been participating in through the University of Oregon. The next week, she presented what she had learned at a math/science Faculty Colloquiums, put on by math instructor Johanna Doty-Fleming.

    Education instructor Michele Reeves implemented a new final project in her EDUC 130 Guiding Behavior class. Students watch a 19-minute video of an exceptional preschool in action. They are tasked with identifying multiple examples of excellent implementation of each of our course objectives. Students like this project and it gives them not only the chance to view an outstanding preschool setting, but to use that real-life setting to connect to their learning from the entire quarter.

    Music instructor John Owens shared the BBCC Viking Percussion recording of "Viking War Chant" available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtMDJHivvZo . He stated “In addition to our performance, we invited community percussionists to share some insights. These individuals included Rosie Donaldson (Marimba Artist), Jacob Pearce (Director, Ephrata High School), and Jonny Ehr (West African Drumming Styles). The audience included BBCC students, BBCC faculty, BBCC staff, area high school students (Moses Lake, Ephrata, Quincy, Othello, Soap Lake), and community members.”

    Math instructor Dr. Tyler Wallace’s students held their statistics fair and presented information to the campus community. They found a claim on the internet, conducted a survey of 50 people to test the claim, ran the statistics and tried to disprove the claim. Poster presentations were well attended.

    Three English faculty, Octaviano Gutierrez, Zach Olson, and Dawnne Ernette have been selected to participate in a grant-funded anti-racist curriculum initiative project across the State of Washington. The project begins winter quarter 2022 and continues for two years.

    The Committee for Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (CEID) started a book club for all-BBCC employees. The selection for winter quarter 2022, is the book Evicted by Matthew Desmond. It was chosen to help learn more about our economically marginalized student population’s experiences as well as to gain a better sense about student needs in general and the obstacles they face when addressing housing insecurity. Their goal is to have 2-3 meetings on one book each quarter, and take recommendations and let interested employees vote on future readings. We want to have books related to all aspects of higher education experiences from perspectives ranging from faculty to support staff and administration to students. CEID Reads has been well received with 23 individuals attending our planning meeting and introduction of the two books on November 30.

    Art instructor Fran Palkovic has shared a PowerPoint of the finals from the Fall beginning ceramics class. He’d like to let the board know that visual art continues thriving here.
  8. ASB President Report
    ASB President Colton Reynolds reported ASB news. Student forums were hosted with college leadership and medical providers to discuss COVID impacts on students. ASB has also reaching beyond small groups of students to bring in their friends. Activities and events are brought back when they are well attended such as food trucks and other educational events. The full report is in the board packet. Board Chair Stredwick thanked ASB for their intentionality.
  9. President’s Update
    Dr. Tweedy commended ASB for their work in this climate. Meaningful ASB activities are being developed for our student community.

    President Tweedy reported Big Bend is live in ctcLink and the work of understanding and harnessing the system is next. Every employee and student set up new accounts just like the trustees. Students’ ctcLink access begins November 8 and course registration begins after that. Winter quarter begins January 3, 2022. An immense workload is hitting student services and the business office as the quarter ends and the next quarter begins. Must accommodate student grades. Also, students need to attest to vaccination status and file an exemption, or enroll in online classes only. There are additional layers for students and staff to maneuver. Dr. Tweedy expressed appreciation to Dr Humpherys, Dean André Guzman and Accommodation and Accessibility Services Coordinator Rebecca Leavell for supporting students through these multiple processes.

    Big Bend enrollment has decreased 18% from this time last year. ctcLink and the attestation process are part of the enrollment decrease and the decrease is happening nationally. Dr. Tweedy is working with Dean of Institutional Research Valerie Parton and staff to gather data on the enrollment and budget. Federal stimulus is saving us financially now and will go away soon. We need to build pipelines to bolster efforts to recruit students in service district. Newly launched efforts are working and ABE is rebuilding and up in FTEs.

    Dr. Tweedy welcomed new employees: STEM Center Coordinator Dori Miller, Early Childhood Specialists Taylor Padilla and Natasha Herring. She also congratulated Marbely Sanchez who was promoted to Financial Aid Advisor.

    Dr. Tweedy announced that the Foundation received a $30,000 donation for aviation scholarships. Dr. Tweedy and Executive Director LeAnne Parton attended an Association of WA Businesses Awards dinner in support of Foundation board member Gary Chandler have a scholarship donated in his honor.

    At 2:30 p.m., Board Chair Thomas Stredwick announced that the Board would adjourn to executive session for approximately ten minutes to discuss items provided for in RCW 42.30.110 (1): (g) to evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public employment or to review the performance of a public employee. The Executive Session was extended by five minutes. A five-minute break was taken immediately following the Executive Session. The meeting reconvened at 2:50 p.m. with no action taken.
  10. Exceptional Faculty Award (EFA) Recommendations
    Motion 21-49 Trustee Anna Franz moved to approve Exceptional Faculty Awards for Math Instructor David Mayhugh and Johanna Doty in the amount of $2,000 each. Trustee Amy Parris seconded and the motion passed.
  11. Sabbatical Recommendation
    This item was moved to the January 27, 2022 meeting.
  12. Transforming Lives Update
    President Tweedy reported Big Bend’s virtual Transforming Lives celebration is scheduled January 11 at 6:30 p.m. Trustee Richards serves on the statewide ACT Transforming Lives Committee. They focused on student achievements and how the community and technical colleges supported the students’ success rather than focusing on their barriers. Trustee Richards will continue to impact the process at the state level. Donations are being accepted for the Transforming Lives event at which two students will be recognized.
  13. Trustees’ Progress Toward Goals
    Board Chair Stredwick explained this new standing agenda item is set to provide time for the trustees to review progress toward their three goals:
    1. Develop and implement an improved system for monitoring Board effectiveness by establishing an annual checklist for monitoring the overall performance of Big Bend Community College and providing training and other educational opportunities for Trustees.

      Trustees Stredwick and Richards are developing a dash board and hope to have a draft with proposed changes to Ends Statements for the meeting January 27, 2022.

    2. Advance equity, diversity, and inclusion by establishing policies and institutional goals supporting operational equity, diversity, and inclusion programs.

      Trustee Franz suggested delaying engagement in equity, diversity, and inclusion until the newest trustee joins the board. Is there a book the board could read together for a self-study? The Committee for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity (CEID) is starting a book club for the campus community

    3. Ensure effective onboarding and support of new trustees.

      Trustee Amy Parris reported that she feels supported and welcomed. She is participating in ACT and learning as she goes.

      Dr. Tweedy she is collaborating with the vice presidents to develop educational topics; today’s mission presentation was one a result. The educational topic for the January meeting is Hispanic Serving Institutions (HIS).
  14. Assessment of Board Activity
    Trustee Jon Lane reported he attend a Big Bend Foundation Board meeting (E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4, E-5, E-6). He met with Rep Tom Dent (E-4, E-5) and attended a special meeting (E-1, E-2). Trustee Lane also attended an ACT Board meeting (E-4, E-5, E-6) and ACT Conference (E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4, E-5, E-6).

    Trustee Anna Franz attended ACT training and a post-board-meeting meeting with Chair Stredwick and President Tweedy.

    Trustee Amy Parris attended the ACT trustee meet and greet and fall conference. She also attended Rotary in Othello to share about partnerships. Trustee Parris met with VP Humpherys, Workforce Education Coordinator Tom Willingham and Dean Daneen Berry Guerin about developing partnerships. She also attended an Early Childhood Education (ECE) advisory committee.

    Board Chair Thomas Stredwick met with President Tweedy to prepare the agenda (E-1, E-2, E-3) and a potential trustee (E-1, E-4, E-6).

    Trustee Juanita Richards attended the ACT Conference, ACT Transforming Lives Committee and she met with President Tweedy.
  15. Next Regularly Scheduled Board Meeting
    The next board meeting is scheduled on January 27, 2022.
  16. Miscellaneous
    Trustee Anna Franz reported the legislative districts are being redistricted and the Big Bend service area is changing. In 2022 we will be in Districts 7, 9, 13, and 15. We will need to establish relationships with our new legislators.

    Trustee Jon Lane asked if VP Humpherys has more information about accreditation. VP Humpherys reported staff and faculty are discussing accreditation standards alignment and focusing on equity gaps, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

    There is currently one applicant in the pool to serve as a Big Bend trustee.

    Trustee Richards commended the Big Bend Foundation for their fund raising and free life-long training offerings
    .
    The meeting adjourned at 3:28 p.m.

thomas stredwick signature

Thomas Stredwick, Chair

ATTEST:

sara thompson signature

Sara Thompson Tweedy, Secretary